Taking Care Of Things
by Monika-San
Summary: After the Sotoba incident, Kaori is just trying to move on and live a normal life. So when she's faced with an ultimately decision, what does fate have in store for her? She find herself joining a fabled organization whose job is to "keep the world safe" but this brings forth a painful past and new foes. Why does she find herself questioning her very morals?
1. Preface: Kaori's Dream

"_**There's no escape from the relentless dripping."**_ Once it begins you can't stop because it's food for them, something vital that we all have is simply taken away so easily.

Deep coal eyes looked at me from afar as I struggled to breath, my body ached everywhere and blood filled my nose. She had just finished torturing me both physically and mentally, the degree of pain wasn't as bad as I expected it to be because halfway thru I made it so that I became completely desensitized. I wasn't surprised when I awoke to find my self in Sotoba, the place where my most prominent memories came from, it looked like a war zone nothing like the way I remembered. To be more precise, we were inside the woods where the tombs of the village people who "died" that summer laid. There was a profound darkness embedded in the air but that didn't seem to conceal Megumi because she was glowing almost like a specter; Something she was supposed to be, a ghost from my past, nothing more.

She noticed me staring at her and her eyes changed from black pools to red irises, and opened her mouth slightly to reveal the long, sharp fangs inside. I tried to suppress a shiver that threatened to breakout through my body but it was useless as Megumi began to giggle at my feeble attempt. The darkness hung heavily and I felt myself begin to suffocate but as that was happening, several pairs of red irises appeared in the distance and looked as if they were coming toward us. I was horrified that there wasn't at least another survivor apart from me, a bone-chilling sensation went up my spine and I suddenly had the urge to get out of there and never come back. But I guess Megumi felt my fear because she was in front of me in a flash, so close I could smell the fancy perfume she was wearing. Her expression was of malice as she leaned closer to my ear-just below my neck- and said loud enough that even the others could hear,_" We just found you, do you honestly think we'd let you get out of here alive? Besides you're the only one left that's being a hindrance to the plans Sunako has, but what pisses me of most is the fact that the only reason your alive is because of Yuuki-Kun. Why did he even bother with you when im much better, yet he didn't even spare me a glance."_

He voice faltered at the end and a look of hurt replaced her features. I couldn't help but to feel bad because after all this girl had been my childhood friend for a long time, even if I was the only one who thought that. I was about to say something when I heard a piercing scream that broke the eerie tranquility of the night. At first I was confused and then felt scared, not for me but for whoever it belonged to because I understood the sick feeling that gets under your skin. Soon enough I felt my throat hurt from the cold air I was sucking in through panted breaths and realized that scream came from me when Megumi abruptly bit down hard on my neck. My instincts kicked in and I began a struggle to break free from her grasp, with my body already injured that became much harder to do and I made the awful insight that I wasn't having any effect on Megumi, who instead bit harder and her once loose grip was now causing me unnecessary pain.

I didn't expect my body to feel heavy or to hear Megumi's voice in my head telling me to relax and that soon enough I wouldn't feel anything anymore. Her voice was hypnotic and I was feeling weaker as time went by, I always wondered why nobody said anything until it was too late but know I knew why: it was so easy to control someone especially in a self-sleepy state. I gave up as soon as I heard her voice but I tried to hold on to the little part of my conscious that was still awake, fighting against the frightening darkness. But it didn't matter what I did because I knew I was going to die and I was ok with that because I would just continue to suffer through life, moving around and never creating relations with people, always cowering in fear that someday my past would come back to get me.

I slowly took in my surroundings for the last time, noticing that the red irises were hovering behind the shadows not fully revealing their faces. Something told me that their sole purpose for being there was to watch my demise because I was the only "alive" link that needed to be severed. That it's self was crueler than any torture Megumi could muster for me, they were people I knew for my entire life and I knew that, in that group my parents stood watching silently much like a passer by would do. No, they weren't my familiars any more, those people were strangers who were not alive anymore and prayed on blood, they were Shiki's, corpse demons.

Red had become a color I couldn't look at without thinking of blood and death so I was overwhelmed with the fact it was everywhere, my own blood, their stare and my own memories. Through the haze that was going on in my head flashbacks played out of my life before: birthdays, eating watermelon with my brother on the porch and my parents. They were a blur and only lasted for a second before they disappeared to an unknown part of my mind before a new set emerged but this time of my life after which only contained my most horrible experiences. Those lasted painfully long and I found it ironic that even when I was in the brink of death they still came back and haunted me.

When I began to see the last batch of them(I knew because they moved much slower and happened with less frequency) I understood that once completely finished, I would be dead. The memories began to take on the outline of a body and…something violet, I felt a sudden flair of warmth go thru my body sending shivers that made me curl my toes. I didn't know why that color brought me peace but what I knew is that it made me feel nostalgic for someone, yet I couldn't remember them. I tried to concentrate on the images and began to recall back to those times but that was very hard to do now since I was slowly slipping somewhere to the deepest part of my subconscious.

After much difficulty my efforts paid off and the images became clearer and stopped on what appeared to be my last memory. I felt a bitter-sweet sensation in my mouth as I realized that once I let go, it would be as if I never existed but the sweet part was that I was finally able to remember why violet brought me such peaceful feelings. Yuuki Natsuno was definitely someone who had been important when life was bad, someone who rarely showed emotions yet cared for people in his own way. He saved us from this horrible fate, Akira and me, but sadly it appears as if you can't run away forever and now I didn't know what had happened to Akira while I was dead.

I was dead when I had killed in order to survive and I was dead once I decided to give up on myself, now this was just a sick event to make it official. I only hoped that Akira was alright because I had vowed to keep him save and if I died now when he needed me most, I could never forgive myself. I closed my eyes and welcome the darkness but not before wondering whatever happened to Natsuno in these past years, but one thing im sure of is that he isn't dead, after all he is a Jinrou one of them.

Kaori's dreams Shiki


	2. Chapter 1:Flowers

I couldn't possibly go to sleep anymore. There was an awful feeling coursing through my body and every time I closed my eyes I only felt the sharp ache in my temple. With an exasperate sigh I opened my eyes and reached under my pillow for my cell phone, which read 11:50 pm. In exactly 10 minutes I would turn 19 years old, something I didn't know how to feel about because I had already reached the milestone of being an adult when I turned 18 last year. I could not drink until I was 20(not that I was looking forward to it anyway), I could drive but I mostly took the train to go to college and I couldn't get married unless I had my parent's permission. The ironic thing was that even _if_ I wanted to get married I'd have to wait until I was 20 or older to do so because my parents had died over 5 years ago. This was just another birthday, I mean don't get me wrong I was happy that I was alive and healthy but there was nothing I felt particularly exited about. Instead I was running a fever and the only person I could celebrate with was Akira but he was in Kyoto for a school trip.

Sweat rolled down my face and fell to the floor with a small thud as I walked towards the sliding patio window, it had become unbearably hot and muggy in the apartment so much I was having trouble breathing in the arid air. When I finally felt the cool metal in my hands I smiled in satisfaction and slid it all the way until a burst of air-filled the apartment raising goosebumps along my skin. I took in a deep breath and immediately felt the pain in my temples turn into a dull throb and the cloudiness in my head begin to lift. I moved outside into the patio where I kept a small garden of flowers and crouched down to look closer at them, they ranged from beautiful bright red colors to soft blues and their petals looked strong yet delicate. Even at night the beauty they possessed never ceased to amaze me, at times when I couldn't take care of them or when I though they couldn't survive the weather, they would still be there the next morning intact with no harm to them. The same day that I turned 19 they too turned 5 months old, the day Akira and I found them wilting when we moved into the apartment.

Before that we had moved around quite often, never staying in more than one place for a certain amount of time. During that time there was only painful memories and undisclosed fears, I never wanted feel such a thing again so I stayed away from people and if they wanted to get near me or Akira I pushed them away until they simply gave up. This was all due to the incident in Sotoba 5 years ago, the one that destroyed everything and killed most of my family. So soon after we moved in and saw the flowers in such a horrible state I couldn't help but to feel a twinge in my heart, they were broken and on the edge of dying, it was if I was watching the inside of my soul rot and die away in a slow and excruciating process. I remember breaking down crying on the brink of hysteria I had never reacted in such away, all those years I bottled up my emotions to keep up with my sanity yet, with just that sight all the walls I put up crumbled like a tower of cards.

Afterwards I began to take care of them and even though it was a slow process I saw them regain their luster, ever since that day I made a vow to take care of them because they had become something vital in my life. I felt that somehow those flowers had become a window to my soul and they reflected how my being was. Every time I nurtured them it felt like I was nurturing my soul as well, making it better and ridding it of all the burdens that had been accumulating over the years. Unconsciously I started to notice changes in myself as well, I became friendlier to the people around me and my disposition was reverting itself to the way it was before, bright and kind. I slowly felt my fear dissipate as I gained more confidence with each day but i still couldn't force myself to go out at night. This made me feel nostalgic because for the first time in years I wanted to live again, to look forward to another day, something that I thought I wouldn't be able to experience anymore.

I'm much better than I was before yet there is still a part of me that clings to the past. I feel it deep within, something that I can't let go of because this served as a reminder to not let my guard down or else I might get hurt again and much deeper. This kind of thinking was the reason why I was dead on the inside for such a long time, but now I wanted to live and such thoughts only repulsed me. As I laid my eyes on the flowers again I noticed that no matter how hard the situation got they were still beautiful and always looked forward and tried their best. Something I should do, to let go of everything that tied me down no matter how much it hurt. _Kaori let go and don't you ever look back._ A lone tear fell to the dirt as I smiled, that had been the last thing Natsuno said to me before he left of course at the time I didn't know what he meant but now those words were the greatest encouragement I could of received. I felt extremely calm and relieved as the last burden was lifted of my shoulders, the only reason I couldn't let go was because then everyone that I had spent most of my life with would have disappeared and become a memory just like the rest.

I stayed there in tranquility of the night until I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around me, startled I turned around and saw that it was Akira. I was incredulous, he was supposed to be miles away right now in Kyoto instead he was home and hugging me. "what are you doing here, aren't you supposed to be in Kyoto?", he looked at me with a raised eyebrow and said, "well unless you find it weird for a brother to be with her sister celebrating her birthday, wait you did know it was your birthday right?" I couldn't help but to roll my eyes, sarcasm was not one of his strong points. He looked at me intently and suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace, another thing that left me baffled so I didn't know how to respond, I guess he thought I was still mad at him because he said, "I'm sorry Kaori, but how could you think I would leave you alone on your birthday you're the only family I have left and I want you to be happy."

I didn't say anything else because there was nothing that needed to be said. I decided that along time ago that whatever I did was going to be for his sake because he had much more innocence left and I wanted to save him. But now I realize that I first needed to take care of myself before I could do anything for him. This was exactly the moment I was waiting for, the time when my past could no longer be my demise and instead I could be free. "I'm not mad but what I do want to know is how you came back to Tokyo?" I raised my head to find him staring away and with a expression that read: _uhu oh, _I suppressed the urge to laugh and enjoyed watching him fumble with an explanation. He sighed in defeat and said,"it's a long story" but before i could say anything else he cut me off and said, "but before we get some cake." I cracked a smile, somehow it felt like things from here on forwards were going to become more interesting but as long as I kept moving forwards I was okay with whatever the future brought me.

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**Im am very sorry for the late update, I know that I promised daily updates so I will give no excuse and try to update next week on spring break if possible. **

**Now going back to the story I hope that you guys like this chapter. Please R&R**

**See you guys next time XD**


	3. Chapter 3: Odds&Ends

**Alright you guys I am very sorry for late update. I will not give excuses and take full blame but I will say that I'm going to begin updating by weekly(every two weeks) so that i will have enough time to write and you guys won't have to wait too long.**

**But on a more happy tone, my story is picking up the pace I want it to so soon enough you will met all of the OC I have created XD who will be making appearances to help dear Kaori find her way around the "organization"**

** All of the names, people or anything are completely fictional and are not based on real life events and Shiki belongs to it's rightful owner Fuyumi Ono**

**Please enjoy your reading and remember to review, no matter how harsh it is :)**

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**Location: Odaiba, Tokyo Bay, Japan Time: 01:34 Hrs**

**Newbie Inspector Teito Asami**

I remember that every summer leading up to my birthday, my parents would drive all the way from Chiba(prefecture) to Tokyo until we reached Odaiba. Even now as I think back to I can still recall the feeling of the sun on my skin, the faint sound of cicadas chirping off into the distance and most of all the good laughs we shared over the course of those long trips. But that didn't last for long because my mother passed away after my 8th birthday due to terminal lung cancer, and I didn't have to be an expert in life to know that things were never going to be the same as before. The relationship with my father began fading away with the wind and as time went by I began to resent him for pushing me away and treating me like garbage. Even after all the pain I never stopped hoping that one day he would come back to his senses and come hug me while whispering such sweet lies, but I knew that all of this was just wishful thinking of my part, something I told myself so that I had something worth holding on to. I never set foot on Odaiba again that is until now, 13 years later, but now I was here under extremely different circumstances.

Being part of Division one was certainly a very demanding job especially when your trying to make a bust, "unregistered weapons" certainly brought a sense of vigilance when it meant someone's or several lives were at stake. Expectations were really high for this mission and there was no room for blunders, particularly from my end because I was the eyes for the rest of my team, meaning that I was their only link between what was going on and them. I knew that if I began to doubt myself even before the operation went underway there was no way it would come out successful, _your mentality greatly affected the outcome of an operation_, that was the first thing they taught us in training and one of the things they never ceased to stress. Even so, as I walked into Zepp Tokyo I couldn't help but to feel my stomach in knots, "fuck", I murmured, out of all the places in Odaiba it had to be this one.

Zepp Tokyo is one of the biggest attractions that Odaiba has to offer, Serving as a performance hall for many international tours and a popular stop among Japanese musicians as well as serving it's other function as a nightclub. I remember that when I was in high school, mostly everyone dreamed of going there in the hopes of having a good time and if they were lucky enough maybe in the company of a hot foreigner. Of course it was easier said than done because the club was laced with tight 24 hour security and they never allowed anyone who wasn't older than 18 to enter but if that didn't represent a challenge then the huge crowds that awaited sure would give you a run for your patience. But even with all of these dealings, people who were a risk for society still managed to infiltrate the club and if things didn't go as well then many innocent people _will_ be at the wrong place at the wrong time. "Teito- San are you ready to begin?", I heard Kiowa Senpai, my superintendent, say over my earpiece. I didn't respond right away, I was slowly wrapping my mind around the situation, I knew that I had every chance of making it after all this is what all those months of training paid off for. I heard a sigh from the earwig and Kiowa Senpai said, " If you don't wish to proceed it's okay, we can always send in you backup". At the end of the day I knew that they would never force me to do anything that I didn't want to do, even if I was just starting out they treated me like one of their own and offered something I hadn't felt in such a long time, the feeling that I finally belonged somewhere. Now it was my turn to repay them back, I spoke into the microphone under my sleeve's dress " negative, i'm ready to go". My response was met by a long silence from Kiowa Senpai I unconsciously began to bite my lip, a bad habit that I nurtured over the years every time I was nervous. I just hoped that he didn't think I was lying or worse, that I was saying this just because everyone expected me to. " Alright everyone operation **Joka** begins now, all to their respective locations."

If you have ever watched a Hollywood action movie, you know that they normally put suspense music and the cool, bad-ass good guys go into the evil villains' hide out and start to shoot at each other. Well this is not the way we do things in real life, we could try that but that would lead to really bad PR for the NPA, meaning that we wont just be loosing our jobs but also our freedom if you know what I mean. As I ordered my first drink of the night I noticed that an hour had passed since the mission began, so far everything was calm but there wasn't any sings of the main offender anywhere. I was beginning to get annoyed, since patience was not one of my god given talents but at least no one was dead…yet. "Teito wipe that look of your face" said Maria-San, my own personal hell on earth. She was the only one in the team that made working for division one a pain in the butt, it seemed that everything she did was just to mortify me. I never understood what I did to make her hate me so much, but what I do know is that recently I began to share the same feelings towards her. "What look?" I asked in spite of myself, anger was slowly bubbling up under the surface, she sneered and responded "that what-the-hell-am-I-doing look, its very common to see you with that expression on." I finally couldn't take it anymore I was sick of her, her insults and everything that was her, "look Maria shut the-" I was interrupted by a loud static noise that emanated from the earpiece but as soon as it came it was gone. Kiowa senpai's gruff voice come over the device and said," would you like me to do that again? Because I'll gladly do it but you understand that both of you will be kicked out of the mission once i'm done." I bit back my tongue, I wanted to tell him that it was all her fault but I knew very well that it was mine as well and in this situation talking was not going to get me out of this. "Maria I don't want to hear your voice over this earpiece unless I tell you so understand!" of course part of me was enjoying this but I had no right to because I would also be on the receiving end as well. A crossed Maria responded with a "yes sir" and that was the end of it for her, then he began saying, "Teito focus! Your in the middle of a mission don't mess it up, remember that not only your life is at stake here."

There was no need to remind me about that, I was always aware of that even before I became an inspector, people died all the time that was life but as long as we were here some tragedies could be avoided. I began to look around the club, much time had passed since I looked up again and it was now packed with young adults drinking, dancing and some of them were all over each other. I blushed on the spot, and averted my gaze to the other side of the club when something caught my eye, on the far most corner of the club there was a group of people who didn't seem to be there for the music only. "Senpai I think I found something, more likely possible suspects" I said into the microphone and immediately he responded "What's your status" more of a command than a question I could only wonder if he thought the same thing I was thinking, we'd finally found our targets. "Well they are far from my location so I ask permission to get closer" I looked up in their direction once again and noticed that there were a few more additions to the group, "very well Teito just be careful and don't attract unwanted attention understand" I smiled to myself, "don't worry Senpai I want this mission to come out a success as much as you do."

I was finding it harder to find a place where I could easily scout them, the club was absolutely packed and every time I tried to look in their direction there was always someone's back blocking my view. I looked all over but the only solution I always came to was the dance floor, it was a very convenient location but the problem was that that area was the most overrun and getting in presented a challenge. But I had to get near them no matter what so I strode towards the floor and from the outside it looked like they were huddled together, the possibility that I might find a small gap to get through was slim. I hovered just outside as I racked my brain for possibilities when suddenly I felt someone lean into me, a blush crept up my face and I was about to turn around when I was pushed with an incredible force against the people in front of me. I heard several hisses and curses around me as well as my own, it was like I was being threaten to get crushed to dead, my lungs lacked air and my limbs ached as they connected with the more…_welcoming_ dancers. I felt the pushing stop when we reached a more spacious part of the floor, I took in a deep breath and smiled in satisfaction as I realized that I had reached the ideal spot. Now I just had to dance and not attract attention to myself, easier said than done but I tried my best to imitate some of the dances around me. From this view I saw that there was roughly about 15 in the group, 10 males and 5 females, they all sat together and paid no attention to outsiders but they looked uneasy and I couldn't help but wonder if they knew something about our presence here.

I could not dance anymore. My feet ached and the drinks I had consumed were beginning to upset my stomach, it amazed me how these kids were still able to keep on going when it was obvious that they could fall to the ground anytime. Screams erupted throughout the dance floor and my gaze immediately fell on a crowd of people running towards the other side of the club, over the music I could hear the crowd scream insults and threats of fighting. Suddenly a loud crash was heard and fighting broke out between the very same group of people, I wanted to stop them but I had to take care of my task at hand but as I looked back I realized that they were gone. I ran as fast as I could to where they sat at, their drinks were empty and they showed no signs of coming back "dammit, why did I take my eyes of them!" I noticed that there was a profound smell of cigarettes enough to make choke but that gave me an Idea. I ran towards the ash tray and grabbed one of the buds, it was still wet from the saliva and the ash was still warm meaning that it hadn't even been minutes since they left. I left the area and frantically searched for any entrance door or back door they could of gone through because I had a gut feeling that they didn't leave the club and instead were somewhere inside making a deal. "The suspects are on the move, I repeat on the move they have not exited the club yet so outside units stay put and alert, I will follow them so if anything goes down I will tell you."

The fight had been a cover, the people who I had seen were the subordinates and they were mealy waiting for their boss to show up and when he did they created a diversion to cover their asses. It had worked because now I didn't know where they were, this building apart from being huge it had many rooms and offices that belonged to the owner and staff. I abruptly stopped and looked upstairs, they had to be there, it was private enough and no one would think of going upstairs to a deserted place. I looked around to make sure I didn't miss something and made my way slowly up the stairs, the music still blared but I wasn't going to take any chances. When I got to the top of the stairs there was a slightly door open,so I got close and listened for any voices on the other side, albeit there was none so I proceeded to open it. As I entered the door I found myself with a hall way that had rooms on all sides, the possibility that they might be in one of these was great so I crouched down and began to move forwards listening for any movements coming from the rooms. I stopped when I approached the room on the far right side, I heard the shuffling of feet come from within followed by a hiss, '_could that be them'. _I slowly rose to my feet the and slowly crept upwards to grab the cool metal knob in my hand and was about to turn it when I heard, "well look at what we have here, a peeping tom or should I say a peeping cat" someone say from behind me. I lit up like the fourth of July and immediately said "no its not what it looks like, I was just-" but I stopped short when I saw that the suspects right in front of me with their boss.

I stood there speechless , I had committed a huge blunder by assuming that what I heard had come from inside the room was actually from outside in the hallway. I looked around the space for any excuse to help me get out of this predicament but all I saw was them, the subordinates held a hostile expression on their faces and their hands were at their sides touching but this greatly contrasted with the smirk their boss had on, he looked content almost in a sick way that provoked chills down my spine. "Cat got your tongue?", said the boss in a sing-song way, at this point the horror my face reflected was nowhere as bad as the urge I had to call for backup but I needed to let the microphones record him confessing the deal or else this mission would be a complete waste of time. I clenched my fists and said, "i'm sorry but you scared me that's all" his eyes narrowed and he responded, "are you sure that's all?" The acid in my stomach threatened to escape and I could of sworn that the room seemed to be moving, I gripped at both of my sides and did the best fake smile I could muster and replied, "yes I was just looking for a place to calm my head because as you can see" I motioned to the first floor "its very rowdy right now, but I'll be leaving and give you privacy with your…_friends._" I stood straight and was about to walk off when he said, "no why don't you stay with us for a while" I turned around and found one of his Hench men pointing a gun at me.

I looked between him and the gun, either I would blow my cover now and call for help or drag the situation out for a little longer, from the corner of my eye I saw that he was holding a silver briefcase between his hands. His gaze shifted to me and he smiled wickedly, "don't worry I won't kill you with what's inside…at least not yet, not if you resist." He was dangerous and I was just a newbie who no longer had any options, if I didn't do it now then I might end up dying along with the case. I closed my eyes and lifted my wrist to my mouth and said," NOW, ALL UNITS ON THE SECOND FLOOR!" before I could back down I lunged at him and grabbed the case of his hands but not before landing a right hook clean on his face. His accomplices were still reeling in from the shock when I did this and by the time they tried to stop it they were too late because I was already halfway towards the stairs. Seconds before, I heard the loud and clear copy that came in response to my order and soon enough all hell broke loose when the screams began downstairs '_sorry kids you gotta go home now.' _I head the distinctive noise of shoots being fired and knew that they were serious about not letting me go, several shots were fired but none of them hit me which was ironic because they dealed with guns all the time. When I reached the door I tried to open it but then I realized that it was locked, no wonder they had left it open when I first came in they must've realized this would of happened. I slammed the door with the briefcase but it still would not open, I threw the case down and kicked the door in hopes that it would finally budge but instead I ended up injuring my foot. Suddenly I heard the cocking of a gun behind me and the barrel was at the back of my head in an instant.

"Die you wannabe hero bitch" said a very dark voice. It would be wrong of me to say that I wasn't expecting this, I didn't want to die I wanted to stay with division one for just a little longer but I guess that when your time comes it comes. I felt something warm fall down my shoulders and into the floor, it smelled like rust and water mixed together I knew that I was loosing blood and yet I didn't feel anything at all or for that matter hear anything either. I opened my eyes and saw that the door had opened and many of our operatives were going inside into the hallway, most of them didn't even spare me a glance and instead were running and signaling each other to continue further. It was only when I saw Kiowa Senpai that I was able to react at all, he pulled me out and lead me to the first floor there he asked me if I had received any wounds. I only stared at him and asked," where is he?" he seemed taken aback by the question but responded none the less in his own way, "whose blood do you think your wearing." I simply nodded and he proceeded to pat my head, "good job Asami-San", I looked up at him surprised, this was the first time he called me by my first name. It felt like I was in some kind of high, everything was _right_ or as okay as it could get they could get but this didn't last long because I looked up to see the boss, who I though had been dead, aim a gun at me and shoot.

Today was full of instances where I should of died but for some reason I never seem to, was it my pure luck? Or some higher force looking out for me. The bullet never hit me because of Kiowa Senpai, who had jumped in front of me at the time and taken the bullet in his shoulder, he laid on the floor knocked out with a pool of blood under him. The coward who did this didn't even bother to see if he missed or not and was out of sight as soon as he fired the weapon, I was torn between staying with Kiowa Senpai or running after him, mostly everyone was captured and we did bust the deal that was supposed to go on but something about him getting away was not right. I ran out of the club and into the chilling rain, I spotted his silhouette round the corner and I began to run after him until we left the more populated area and ended up in a warehouse district. I stopped to catch my breath and surveyed my surroundings, I had lost him once the warehouses began appearing and now I was just running in circles wasting time. There was just to many odds against me and I wasn't loved enough by the universe, I had to face the facts that sometimes there was things that were simply out of my control.

As I walked back towards the club I felt very uneasy and the fact that I heard noises every time I took a step didn't help my state of mind and just when I though that it couldn't get any worse I heard a loud male scream come from several warehouses back. I found myself running back despite the dark feeling in the pit of my stomach, maybe it was that idiot who escaped but something about the way he screamed provoked fear within me. From the distance I caught a glimpse of a warehouse with its door rolled up all the way, this certainly alarmed me enough because when I passed through here before the door was not like that. As I neared the entrance a moan emanated from the inside and the though that he might of gotten hurt crossed my mind, especially when there was a strong smell of blood lingering in the air. When I went inside of the depot I noticed that this space hadn't been used in a while and only contained the occasional machine and crate but apart from that nothing looked suspicious, that was until I saw a heap on the floor that looked alot like a human. Much to my benefit it was him and as I got closer I noted his face expression which was a very disturbed and scared there was no movement from his stomach or any sings that he was...well alive. I searched him for any wounds that were self provoked or any blunt force trauma and instead he only had several bug bites but as far as I knew someone just didn't die from them in such a short time. This left me very puzzled because there was no logical reason for his death not unless he was killed by someone...but who? I stood up and turned around and found myself face to face with an individual who I hadn't seen before, "who are you?" I asked as calm as possible but he only tilted his head to the side and stared at me with a baffled expression. I realized that I wasn't breathing until I felt the lack of air get to my head, "ohhh so your more food right?" I snapped my head up and found two red irises hovering just above me and the last thing I remember was my bloodcurdling scream.

**xxxxx**

**Kaori**

It always happened like this: I would go with Cheri-San to Shibuya on the weekends because she wanted to have fun and I quote, "I want to share it with my best friend." But by the time we got there she would ditch me for the first guy who would look at her and begin to flirt while I would be stuck walking around for hours, did I mention that she was my ride home. This time was no exception and as soon as we got there she pulled it off and left before I could even say baka, but this time I came prepared by 1) not bring any high heeled shoes 2) bringing at least a sweater or umbrella and 3) never straying away from my ride home, which was basically her. I felt like one of the biggest creeps following Cheri around especially when she and mystery guy were getting touchy feeling but I needed to do what I felt was necessary or else I would be left here(and trust me she has forgotten me a couple of times). Although Cheri-san was a year older than me she's one of the most gullible people I have ever met, trusting anyone immediately and believing that life was a party even if the world around her said another. This had caused her to get hurt so many times before, love affairs included, and it pained me to see how little by little her worldly view was beginning to crumble. Yet somehow she always managed to be optimistic about everything, something that I greatly admire about her and the fact that she can make almost anybody laugh(that's how we first met but that is a story for another time). I just wanted to make sure that she was ok and that mystery guy wasn't just another creep, this was the least I can do after all the things she's done for me. I basically owe her my life.

Although, sometimes I wish I could choke her until she turns purple and then let her go, I mean I can't kill my best friend can I? To believe that she has the nerve of going inside of a tattoo parlor and plan on getting a guys name tattooed on your back was just plain reckless(I'm being nice). But then end up not getting anything and running out of the shop and go on a shopping spree was so like her that I almost felt like the biggest fool on earth for believing it just a second. It was really funny just to see her like this that I wonder if that would have been me if things didn't turn out the way they did. I stopped shortly after they did and looked up at the sunset that painted the sky, a beautiful array of light blues and red oranges that only nature could create and man could only wish to recreate. No, things happened for a reason and maybe fate didn't want me to be like that because it had some great plan for me just like it did for everyone. I turned my head in the direction where I saw them last but found that they were no longer there, "dammit now how am I going to find them", I murmured and began to run in the most possible direction they went.

It was already nightfall by the time I entered a semi deserted cafe I had gotten myself lost when I was running around looking for Cheri and now my feet were begging for rest. The cafe was relatively small compared to the shops that surrounded it, with pasty yellow walls and pictures of many different people hanging on them this place had a more old-fashioned and homely feel to it that reminded me of Sotoba back then. A wave of nostalgia overcame me, filling me with different kinds of sensation but as soon as it came it left and with it a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I didn't realize I had closed my eyes until I heard someone clear their throat, I looked up and saw an elderly woman standing above me with a small notebook in her hand. She said in a hoarse voice, "what do you want child?" I found myself staring at her face, her hair was long and white like snow and her face was adorned with small crinkles around her eyes and cheeks something that told me she smiled a lot but what I found intriguing were her eyes; The color was a mix between brown and red and covering them were very long and beautiful eyelashes, they contrasted greatly with her worn out face. She began to laugh and said," I know many people have thought that before don't worry your not disrespecting me" my eyes went wide and I felt the warmth radiate off my face. I looked up and smiled apologetically "ah yes I'm sorry but could I have some Milk Tea", she smiled and scribbled it down in the pad and left but not without saying "for life is an expression, our unconscious actions the constant betrayal of our innermost thought."

I was beginning to worry about Cheri-San as time went by but I had no way of knowing where she would go, she didn't pick up when I called her and it was already 23:34 pm and soon enough the cafe would be closing. I kept glancing outside of the window in hopes that she may pass by but the chances of that were slim and instead I found myself slowly panicking on the inside. Shibuya was a secure place but just like any other place is had its exceptions and with her bad habit of being at the wrong place at the wrong time anything could happen. "Think positive Kaori", I murmured under my breath and stood up, the cafe was empty except for me and a guy who had been here before I came in. He was relatively calm and it seemed as he enjoyed being in the cafe something that puzzled me because he seemed more of the type who rather be somewhere else. Suddenly my attention turned to the monitor on the wall, the news was on and there was a story about an inspector from division one who went missing in action, they showed a picture on the screen of a girl around my age maybe a bit older, with short black wavy hair and deep green eyes with a pale complexion and a oval shaped face. Her looks were very unique and for a second I considered her to be a foreigner but those thoughts quickly dissipated once I saw that her name was Teito Asami. Apparently she went missing about 3 days ago in the Odaiba area near Zepp Tokyo, then it went on to a press conference they had with her supervisor where they asked that if anybody had seen her it was important to notify the police immediately. I hear shuffling behind me and I saw the guy stand up to leave, he looked at the screen in disgust and said, "so very sad, such a waste" for a slight second I heard Megumi's voice in my head and I saw a flash of red before my eyes.

As soon as he left the shop I ran out and into the street, I looked around and I spotted his shoulder length white hair round the corner and disappear. His words felt like knives against my soul and raised goosebumps along my skin but it was his emotionless expression as he said this that created the kind of fear I felt back when I was in Sotoba. The sudden vibration coming from my bag brought me back to really and I saw that it was a text message from Cheri that read, "where are you? Im at the car already. O.0" I felt a surge of relief flow through me and I was about to walk off when I heard the door to the shop open and I turned around to see the old lady standing there with an unreadable look on her face, she simply said "be careful my dear child there's a storm coming." I kept pondering what she meant over and over as I ran towards where I though we had parked, sadly I found myself running between closed shops and empty streets some of which I hadn't seen before. I stopped to catch my breath and asses my situation because I might just end up getting even more lost than I am now, so I pulled out my phone and was about to call Cheri when I felt the unmistakable feeling that something was coming my way. I immediately positioned myself in a way where running would be much easier and looked around for anything odd, of course it could just be my imagination but I learned to trust my "feelings" more than anything. I stopped short when I heard the distinctive sound of crying come from the alleyway behind me, I was caught between checking it out or finding my way back and then coming back with help but I knew damn well that I was just afraid.

I clenched my fists and walked slowly following where the sound came from, it sounded like a girl and from the strong smell of blood that emanated from her direction I figured she got hurt pretty badly. I began to run until I noticed a silhouette leaning against the rock wall, she definitely was a girl but her clothes and hair were messy, I stood a couple of centimeters away from her yet she never noticed my presence until I said, "hello…are you okay?" Her head snapped in my direction with such a terrified look on her face that made me flinch, all I could do was stare because something about her was familiar and my mind immediately switched back to the news report in the cafe "Are you Teito…Asami?", I said almost whispering, her features took on a whole new different form and she said in a hoarse voice, "do you know me?" I was taken aback by her question, I didn't know her like that but never the less I was glad that she was ok. "No but your friends are looking for you, the police, I want to help you" I said in an urgent voice, I felt my heart swell when she ran towards me and began crying in joy but then she looked around and told me if it was safe to do so, I cocked my head to the side and asked her why she said that. She wouldn't meet my eyes and instead she had this faraway look in her eyes and I could tell that it was something truly horrible, "tell me what's wrong because I can't help you if you don't tell me", I begged her and she slowly let go of my hands and slumped on the floor, she looked broken and I couldn't help but to sympathize with her. "If I told you would you believe me?", she asked so quietly almost as if she was asking herself that, "yes I have seen things…I would believe you if you just tell me" she stayed silent for what seemed like a long time and I was beginning to believe that maybe it was a bad idea I asked her about it. "It was a person with red colored eyes and a sadist who has a taste for blood"

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**Okay you guys I hope you enjoy the chapter see you guys in two weeks.**

**If there are some material you don't understand then please message me and i will be more likely to explain**

**Sayonara XD please rate and review**

Chapter Name: The Take Down

Rough Draft Chapter 2


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